8 Reasons People Don’t Lose Weight (And How To Fix It)

“When you lose weight, it doesn’t begin in the gym with a dumb bell; it starts in your head with a decision.” – Toni Sorenson

Trying to lose weight can be tricky, especially when you’re older, or have always carried some extra weight. Changing your diet to something healthier and exercising regularly might not show the results you’re looking for.

There can by a myriad of reasons why you’re unable to lose weight, despite changing your eating habits and hitting the gym. Certain lifestyle habits or underlying factors can make putting on the weight easy, but shedding it more difficult.

8 Reasons People Don’t Lose Weight (And How to Fix It)

1. POOR SLEEPING PATTERNS

When you’re not getting enough sleep, your body isn’t going to be working the way it’s supposed to. Not to mention, when you’re hit with a bout of insomnia, you might be heading to the kitchen for a middle of the night snack, which can lead to putting back on the weight you’d been trying to work off during the daylight hours.

Lack of sleep can also lead to lack of motivation, which will make hitting the gym harder. Fixing your sleep schedule will do wonders for your mind and body.

2. LIGHT POLLUTION AT NIGHT

According to studies, when animals are exposed to light while their food intake and exercise levels remain constant, they’re still capable of gaining weight. We live in a world now that’s constantly lit up – from city lights to television screens to our mobile phones. Electronic devices can mess up our sleep levels, and exposure to blue light makes it harder to fall asleep. While it may not make you gain weight directly, it’s harder to keep off weight when you’re not getting your best night’s sleep. Shutting off electronics before bedtime can help put your sleep patterns back on the right track.

3. CHRONIC STRESS

Stress is a well-known cause of weight gain. Not only can stress mess with your hormone levels, but it can also make emotional eaters out of all of us. Stress drives overeating, which can undo any progress that you’ve made with diet and exercise. When stress starts to get high, focus on exercise and yoga to help calm you down. Or, if you know the best way is eating, keep healthy snacks in the house that will keep you on the right track with your eating.

4. MEDICATION

Many medications can cause your metabolism to screech to a halt. They can also cause cravings and an increase in appetite. For many medications, weight gain is a side effect, but one that can be avoided. Asking your doctor about different alternatives for your medication that don’t have a weight-gain side effect can help keep you both healthy and medicated, as well as be good for your weight.

5. NEGATIVE SELF-TALK

Nothing can make you lose the motivation for exercise and diet faster than not believing in yourself. When you slip up, or when you skip a day at the gym, it can be easy to berate yourself and talk negatively about yourself in your own head. This will make you lose the motivation to keep trying. The best thing to do is to change how you talk to yourself. Be kind to yourself and use statements in the third or second person: “You can do it,” or “It’s okay that you skipped today, you’ll try again tomorrow.” The psychological effects on your motivation will be absolutely stunning.

6. CHEMICALS AND POLLUTANTS

We’re surrounded by all kinds of chemicals every single day – ones we don’t even think about, in the air, in our gardens and in our homes. These chemicals can often promote weight gain, especially if you’ve been exposed to them for long periods of time during your formative growing years.

The best way to cut these chemicals out of your life is to make sure you’re buying fresh foods and cutting down on how much plastic you have in your home. Filtering your water with carbon filters will also help you cut the harmful chemicals out of your life.

7. MEDICAL CONDITIONS

There are several medical conditions that can have weight gain as a side effect – for example, thyroid conditions can make you gain weight without showing any other symptoms. If you find yourself gaining weight and unable to lose it no matter what you do, try talking with your doctor and getting checked out for any number of health conditions that can cause a drastic spike in weight.

Once you get it under control, you’ll find it easier to keep the weight off and stay healthy and active.

8. DEPRESSION

Sometimes, people can have depression and not even know it, because they’re just used to living life that way. Unfortunately, depression can also cause weight gain from inactivity and over-eating. Talk to your doctor about how you’re feeling, and they may be able to help you manage your depression so you can take control of your life and your body once more. Being free of a heavy cloud of depression will make exercising and managing your diet much easier.

A few changes in habits and lifestyle can make losing weight possible once more. Even if you’re doing everything right when it comes to eating and exercise, there can still be some key factors that make keeping that extra weight off hard. The most important thing to know is to never give up, and making mistakes is okay. Once you’ve figured out the habits that work for you, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to keep up with exercise and diet, and keep your weight down.

“When you lose weight, it doesn’t begin in the gym with a dumb bell; it starts in your head with a decision.” – Toni Sorenson
Trying to lose weight can be tricky, especially when you’re older, or have always carried some extra weight. Changing your diet to something healthier and...